Bone marrow registry event on April 14-15 at ATUEvery year, approximately 6,500 Americans with leukemia, lymphoma and other serious blood diseases receive a potentially life-saving bone marrow transplant through Be The Match, a national registry that connects patients with solutions. Another 1,000 people die each year because they were unable to find a matching donor. On April 14-15, individuals from Arkansas Tech University and surrounding communities will have an opportunity to join the r...

Changes to Sequoyah saferoom entranceDue to the construction of a south wing addition to Sequoyah Elementary School, it will be necessary for the public to enter the tornado shelter during after-school hours through a different route. The south doors at the front of the building (by the kindergarten wing) will be utilized as the main entrance at this time. The public will enter through these doors and follow signs to go straight through, under the breezeway, and in through the se...

RSD employees work hard for better healthThe Russellville School District Wellness Committee recently began a pilot health and wellness program for employees at the Russellville Middle School. The Refinement program encourages employees to make lasting lifestyle choices by equipping them with educational materials and support. The program currently has 30 employees from RMS participating. The group meets weekly to receive health information materials on various topics and monthly to ...

Atkins hears safety upgrades, Lamar expels studentATKINS — The Atkins Board of Education called a special meeting Tuesday regarding updates to the school security system. The meeting allowed for 20-minute presentations by Arkansas Valley Communications, Innovative Industries Solutions and Service Plus. The companies presented their qualifications, service and ability to provide security cameras and upgrades to the existing system for the Atkins School District, Superintendent Mark Gotcher sai...

Arkansas Tech Opera Workshop to perform SaturdayThe Arkansas Tech University Opera Workshop will present a program entitled “Songs to Scenes” at Witherspoon Auditorium on Saturday, April 4. The performance will begin at 4 p.m. Admission will be free and open to the public. “We are taking songs that the students are working on in their applied lessons and turning them into short scenes,” said Dr. Jon Clements, director of the Arkansas Tech Opera Workshop. “The students have created the locat...

RJHS students attend national EAST eventRussellville Junior High School EAST students recently attended the National EAST Conference in Hot Springs where they received the highest ranking of superior. Each spring, more than 2,500 students, teachers, parents and community and business leaders attend the conference, which is the EAST Initiative's largest training event of the year. This three-day event allowed attendees to network with other students, share stories and ideas, showcase...

Horn Night 2015 returns to ATUThe sounds of French horns will fill Witherspoon Auditorium this evening when Arkansas Tech University hosts Horn Night at Tech 2015. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission will be free and open to the public. Among the groups scheduled to perform are the Arkansas Tech Horn Ensemble and guest ensembles from Russellville Middle School, Pinkston Middle School in Mountain Home, Sheridan High School, Cabot High School and Clarksville Hi...

Krueger honored as professor emeritusDavid Krueger, who gave a half-century of service on the Arkansas Tech University faculty, received the honorary title of professor emeritus of history from the Tech Board of Trustees during its regular monthly meeting on Thursday. “David served the university and the history department for 50 years, and in that time he became one of the most respected and beloved figures in the history of the institution,” wrote Dr. Thomas A. DeBlack, profess...

Einert receives Third Floor Caraway Girls ScholarshipArkansas Tech University student Michelle Einert had a very pleasant surprise waiting for her at choir rehearsal in Witherspoon Hall on Tuesday, March 17. Einert was presented with the 2015 Third Floor Caraway Girls Scholarship in the amount of $1,300. A junior vocal music education major from Ozone, Einert is the daughter of Cathy and Jim Einert. The story of the scholarship dates back more than a half-century to a lifelong sisterhood that wa...

House supports overhaul to lottery scholarshipLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas' lottery-funded scholarships would be awarded based on the number of credit hours earned by college students under a proposal endorsed by the House. The bill advanced to the Senate on Thursday in a 77-0 vote. Republican Rep. Dwight Tosh of Jonesboro says the change would begin in 2016 and require the Department of Higher Education to award scholarships based on credit hours instead of academic year. Tosh says the ch...

Senate backs limit on Common Core test contractLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Senate has voted to limit the length of the state's contract with a testing company whose assessments are based on Common Core education standards. The bill approved by the Senate on a 22-2 vote Thursday prevents the state from entering into a contract for more than a year with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. The measure requires the state to consider the recommendations from...

ATU freshman awarded scholarshipArkansas Tech University freshman Emily Bruce has earned the Christina Stinnett Memorial Scholarship offered through the Arkansas Tech Foundation. Bruce is a vocal music education major from Clarksville. Also photographed is Dr. Cynthia Hukill, head of the Arkansas Tech Department of Music and associate professor of music. The namesake of the scholarship was a 23-year-old student at the University of Arkansas when she passed away in 2007. Jayn...

Dover reviews building processDOVER — Superintendent Jerry Owens updated the Dover Board of Education on impending middle school construction during Thursday's regular meeting. Owens reported he participated in numerous meetings recently with the project architects and engineers, and the final specifics and blueprints should be complete within three months. He said some ground and road work would begin during the summer break, and care would be taken not to interfere with ...

Schools to receive grades based on performance standardsParents of children who attend schools in the Arkansas River Valley can expect a report card to reach their mailboxes soon. However, the report card will evaluate the school, not the student. Chris Barnes, director of elementary instruction for the Russellville School District (RSD), explained the implications of the School Performance Report Card (SPRC) and the performance rating system. Effective in 2014, schools are rated using an A-F ratin...

Clarksville thespian, FFA organizations excelCLARKSVILLE — The Clarksville Board of Education recognized the success of its students in extracurricular activities during its recent board meeting at the high school media center. Assistant Superintendent Steven Wyatt recognized the high school drama department for its performance at the Arkansas State Thespian Festival, where the group was selected as the Critics' Choice. The students will advance to the national competition in Lincoln, Ne...

Two students qualify for AutoSkills competitionTwo local high school students qualified to participate in the state Ford/American Automobile Association (AAA) Student AutoSkills competition, scheduled for May 1 in Little Rock. And with the help of Ford and Cogswell Motors, they already have a leg up on the competition. Samuel Shaddon of Atkins High School and Austin Brock of Hector High School will have the chance to work on their auto repair skills on a sparkling new 2015 Ford Fiesta in t...

ATU board votes to buy North El Paso propertyArkansas Tech University agreed to add to its property inventory along North El Paso Avenue during Thursday’s regular meeting of its Board of Trustees at the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center. Trustees approved to purchase the property at 715 North El Paso Ave. for $240,000. The property includes one lot and a building that contains 3,536 square feet. Board members also voted to purchase an adjacent vacant lot for $45,000. As of s...

Lamar to purchase 3 school busesLAMAR — The Lamar Board of Education called a special meeting Wednesday to accept two bids for buses for the school district. Under Superintendent Roy Hester’s recommendation, the board accepted the low bid of $69,964 from Master’s Bus Company for a mini-bus. The board also accepted the low bid of $78,985 per bus for two 77-passenger buses from Central State Bus Sales. In other action, the board approved to expel a student for the remainder of...

RSD to add inclement weather makeup daysIn an effort to make up the days missed because of inclement weather, Russellville School District’s (RSD) classes will be in session on April 3, June 1, June 2 and June 3. A copy of the calendar changes can be found on the district website and its Facebook page. April 3, Good Friday, was scheduled to be a day off for staff and students, but will replace the time missed by being off on Feb. 17. June 1 will replace Feb. 23, June 2 will replace ...